Sunday, January 1, 2017

Michael Lewis on luck and happiness

Michael [Lewis] once met a refugee whose entire life had been one tragedy after another. But because he made it through, he created a narrative for himself about how lucky he was. That made him preternaturally happy. Michael absorbed the key lesson: The happiest people are the ones who believe they are lucky, rather than entitled or owed their success. For that reason, Michael is one of the happiest people I know. “I get such pleasure out of knowing that I’m lucky,” he says. “It also allows me to assume that I will continue to be lucky. I am creating a narrative of my life, and it makes me braver and less fearful.”